Pilots warn of laser pointers striking aircraft cockpits in Ottawa

Pilots are warning of a troubling increase in lasers being aimed at aircraft cockpits in Ottawa.

There have been five reports to Transport Canada in the last month - including three in the last week of someone shining a green laser at airplanes in the Ottawa area. There was also an incident last week in the area of the nearby community of Limoges, Ont.

In one case near the end of the month in Ottawa, both pilots on aWestJetflight from Vancouver went to see doctors after a direct laser hit on the cockpit.

Dan Adamus, the Canadian president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said he thinks many people are just curious to see how far their beams will travel.

He thinks a public awareness campaign might cut down on the safety risk and would make changes to how laser pointers are marketed.

"We'd like to see laser pointers of greater than 5 milliwatts be labelled to say they are dangerous to point at aircraft," he said.

Transport Canada said they launched an awareness campaign about the issue in 2010 for law enforcement agencies and astronomical societies.

Transport Canada also says anyone guilty of pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft cockpit could face maximum penalties of a $100,000 fine and five years in prison under the Aeronautics Act.